Fragrance comparison

Tsar vs Upton

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 12 Oct 2026 1,825 ratings analysed

4 wins

Tsar

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.191,815 votes

Rank #715 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

63%scent match

Closely related

Upton

Papillon

4.1010 votes

Rank #40,504 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Tsar takes 4 of 6 categories.

Tsar
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and note pyramid duration. Best in winter, daytime wear.
Upton
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Tsar4/6

Upton2/6

Ratings & consensus: Tsar
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tsar
Sillage & projection: Upton
Value for money: Upton
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Tsar
Fragranxe ranking: Tsar

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

TsarVan Cleef & Arpels

UptonPapillon

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.19/ 5 · 1,815 votes

Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%

4.10/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 67%Had 5%Want 29%

Category winnerTsarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

45%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

1,815 votes

40%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

10%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityTsar

SillageUpton

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value48

¤ Price value66

Category winnerUptonBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody90%

fresh spicy80%

green70%

earthy60%

mossy50%

woody100%

aromatic90%

fresh spicy80%

powdery70%

green60%

lavender50%

Scent match63%Closely related · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top20-30 mins

Green NotesLavenderArtemisiaRosemaryBergamotCorianderCinnamonNeroli

Heart2-4 hrs

Pine TreeJuniper BerriesCarnationTarragonGeraniumCarawayJasmineRose

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossLeatherCedarPatchouliVetiverSandalwoodMuskAmber

Top20-30 mins

LavenderRosemaryNeroliPetitgrain

Heart2-3 hrs

GalbanumJasmineGeraniumClary Sage

Base5-7 hrs

SandalwoodCedarAmberVetiverOakmoss

Category winnerTsarLongest dry-down: 6-8+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring91

Summer51

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night53

Spring75

Summer25

Fall100

Winter63

Day100

Night39

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men94

Unisex5

Women1

Work 40%Casual 33%Date 18%Party 10%

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Work 44%Casual 35%Date 12%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#715

PerfumerPhilippe Bousseton

Launched—

Reviews204

Overall rank#40,504

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerTsarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Van Cleef & Arpels Tsar is a quintessential green aromatic cologne that captures the crisp air of a dense pine forest. It opens with an invigorating rush of cool lavender, bitter artemisia, and crushed rosemary, creating the sensation of walking through morning woodland dew. As the scent settles, aromatic juniper berr…

Reviews →

Papillon Upton opens with an intense, bracing jolt of lavender, bitter petitgrain, and crushed rosemary leaves. It immediately recalls classic European barbershop traditions. Give the sharp opening five minutes to burn off its alcohol vapor before leaning in. Once the initial blast settles, dry green galbanum, herbal …

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Tsar or Upton?

Tsar takes 4 of 6 categories. Tsar is rated 4.19/5 from 1,815 votes; Upton is rated 4.10/5 from 10 votes. Choose Tsar for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and note pyramid duration. Best in winter, daytime wear. Choose Upton for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Tsar or Upton?

Tsar lasts longest (Tsar 72/100, Upton 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Tsar or Upton?

Projection is very close: Upton 63/100, Tsar 62/100 for sillage.

Do Tsar and Upton smell similar?

Closely related: a 63% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lavender, Rosemary, Neroli and Geranium.

Is Tsar or Upton better for summer or winter?

Tsar suits daytime wear; Upton suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Tsar and Upton?

Tsar has top notes of Green Notes, Lavender, Artemisia and Rosemary, heart notes of Pine Tree, Juniper Berries, Carnation and Tarragon, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Cedar and Patchouli. Upton has top notes of Lavender, Rosemary, Neroli and Petitgrain, heart notes of Galbanum, Jasmine, Geranium and Clary Sage, a base of Sandalwood, Cedar, Amber and Vetiver.